Sensor System Comprising Stacked Micro-Channel Plate Detector

• US 20120181433A1
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PFG Ip, LLC
• Original Assignee: Irvine Sensors Corp.
• Inventors: Ludwig, David, Justice, James, Azzazy, Medhet
• Granted Patent: US 9,142,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/349
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/26 Image pick-up tubes having an input of visible light and electric output tubes without defined electron beams and having a light ray scanning photo-emissive screen H01J40/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/507 using a large number of channels, e.g. microchannel plates

Abstract

A multilayer electronic imaging module and sensor system incorporating a micro-lens layer for imaging and collimating a received image from a field of regard, a photocathode layer for detecting photons from the micro-lens layer and generating an electron output, a micro-channel plate layer for receiving the output electrons emitted from the photocathode in response to the photon input and amplifying same and stacked readout circuitry for processing the electron output of the micro-channel plate. The sensor system of the invention may he provided in the form of a Cassegrain telescope assembly and includes electromagnetic imaging and scanning means and beam-splitting means for directed predetermined ranges of the received image to one or more photo-detector elements which may be in the form of the micro-channel imaging module of the invention.

Claims

1. A sensor system comprising:

imaging means for providing an electromagnetic illumination beam having a predetermined imaging wavelength,

scanning means for scanning the illumination beam on a target,

a parabolic reflector element,

a hyperbolic reflector element,

beam-splitting means,

a first photo-detector element responsive to a predetermined first range of the electromagnetic spectrum, and,

a second photo-detector element responsive to a predetermined first range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

2. The sensor system of claim 1 wherein the parabolic reflector element and the hyperbolic reflector element are configured as a Cassegrain reflector telescope assembly.

3. The sensor system of claim 1 wherein the illumination beam is projected through and incoming electromagnetic radiation is received through a common aperture.

4. The sensor system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second photo-detector elements comprises an electronic module comprising a stack of layers wherein the layers comprise,

a micro-lens array layer comprising at least one lens element for providing a beam output,

a photocathode layer for generating a photocathode electron output in response to a predetermined range of the electromagnetic spectrum,

a micro-channel plate layer comprising at least one micro-channel for generating a cascaded electron output in response to the photocathode electron output, and,

a readout circuit layer for processing the output of the micro-channel.

5. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the readout circuit layer comprises a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer that are electrically coupled by means of a through-silicon via.

6. The sensor system of claim 4 further comprising a thermoelectric cooling layer.

7. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the beam output of the lens element is substantially collimated.

8. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the stack of layers is disposed in a vacuum environment.

9. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the module is provided as a pin grid array package.

10. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the readout layer is comprised of a set of readout sub-layers comprising a capacitor top metal and analog preamp sub-layer, a filtering and comparator sub-layer and a digital processing sub-layer.

11. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the predetermined ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum comprise ranges selected from the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, short-wave infrared, medium-wave infrared, long-wave infrared, far-infrared and x-ray ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum.

12. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the micro-channel plate is comprised of at least one micro-channel having a diameter of less than about 10 microns.

13. The sensor system of claim 4 wherein the micro-channel plate is comprised of at least one micro-channel having a diameter of less than about five microns.

14. A sensor system comprising:

imaging means for providing an electromagnetic illumination beam having a predetermined imaging wavelength,

scanning means for scanning the illumination beam on a target,

a parabolic reflector element and a hyperbolic reflector element configured as a Cassegrain reflector telescope assembly, and,

at least one photo-detector element responsive to a predetermined first range of the electromagnetic spectrum wherein the illumination beam is projected through and incoming electromagnetic radiation is received through a common aperture.

15. The sensor system of claim 14 wherein the at least one photo-detector element comprises an electronic module comprising a stack of layers wherein the layers comprise a micro-lens array layer comprising at least one lens element for providing a beam output,

a photocathode layer for generating a photocathode electron output in response to a predetermined range of the electromagnetic spectrum,

a micro-channel plate layer comprising at least one micro-channel for generating a cascaded electron output in response to the photocathode electron output, and,

a readout circuit layer for processing the output of the micro-channel.